It's the rainy season in Tokyo, and Sakuma tries not to let the weather dampen his mood too much. The sun is barely out these days, and it’s always wet and cold, but again, he tries his best to be positive like he always is. He’s grateful that he has a job he loves to help, 3 pets to snuggle under the blankets, and a loving boyfriend who is so understanding and selfless, he wonders what he did in his past life to deserve him.
“Good morning, Abe-chan,” Sakuma says to said loving boyfriend, who was sitting on the floor, focused on the papers sprawled across the floor.
Abe doesn’t respond, completely engrossed in whatever scientific research he was reading. Sakuma thinks that it’s best to leave him alone for a while. When Abe gets into a paper, it’s almost impossible to get his attention.
Sachi and Tuna, their 2 cats, lay by the sliding doors leading to their backyard, sleeping soundly. Sakuma looks for their dog, a golden retriever named Moca. He finds her laying on the floor next to Abe, looking so content.
Sakuma smiles to himself, he is so grateful that this is the life he has. In their tiny home, he has everything he needs, he doesn’t need anything more. The cold and harsh weather does not affect him at all.
They stay in relative silence for a while. Sakuma feeds the pets and goes through his backlogs, edits what he needs, and fixes the mistakes he sees. He works as a manga editor, but during this season, artists tend to be out of inspiration, so he usually doesn’t have much to do anyway. Abe works as a part-time professor and full-time researcher at a university in Central Tokyo. Usually, Abe works round the clock, but due to the unforgiving weather, classes and meetings were moved online and labs were suspended until further notice.
“What time is it?” Abe says suddenly, scaring Sakuma so much he almost spills his drink all over his drafts.
“You scared me,” Sakuma says, laughing at Abe and how ridiculous this all is. Abe’s voice is hoarse after hours of not talking, and the fact that they’ve been sitting there for hours not saying a word to each other.
Abe looks at the clock, half past 12.
Abe stands up from where he was sitting and stretches, his back cracks.
“I was getting dizzy reading all those papers. I’ve looked over them so much I’m starting to see the word ‘ablation’ whenever I close my eyes.”
Sakuma stands from the kitchen counter and walks over to Abe,
“We both have been looking at too many papers today, Abe-chan, and it’s not even 1 PM yet. What do you want for lunch, hm? I can cook if you want.” Sakuma offers.
“It’s okay, I’ll cook today. I need to do something other than work. I can feel myself going crazy, Sakkun.”
Sakuma smiles at his boyfriend, big and bright, it fills their little living room with so much light. He hugs him and says,
“You’re the best, Abe-chan. I love you.”
↶*ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊ-
In the Kyomoto-Matsumura household, the rainy season hits hard. Taiga’s creativity and motivation to work fly out the window as soon as the first few droplets of rain hit the ground and Hokuto’s work gets affected so much, with photoshoots getting canceled left and right, he’s barely out of the house.
They both sleep in today. The photoshoot Hokuto has been looking forward to for months has been canceled due to inclement weather. He insisted on coming to work nonetheless, but he was only faced with a lecture from his boss saying that he “works too much” and that “if he doesn’t stop he’s going to be burnt out by the time he’s 30.”
Hokuto works as a fashion writer for a magazine famous in Japan and worldwide, something that he takes pride in. He has climbed the corporate ladder, starting as an intern up to the chief writer. He has worked hard to get where he is now, some may argue that he works too hard.
Taiga works as a music composer/producer, so he’s mostly home anyway. He, like his boyfriend, has worked hard to get where he is now. He’s made himself a staple in the music industry, and he takes pride in his work. He wears his title with pride.
From the outside, Matsumura Hokuto and Kyomoto Taiga look like the perfect couple, with dazzling looks and successful careers, but in their home in Tokyo, they’re simply Taiga and Hokuto. Taiga loves to eat snacks and play his guitar. Hokuto loves to drink tea and write poetry in his spare time.
As the rain pours down and the wind howls, they stay inside their warm home, underneath their thick comforter. Taiga’s arm around Hokuto’s waist with his face buried in the nape of Hokuto’s neck, while Hokuto’s back is pressed against Tagia’s chest.
They don’t know how long they’ve been like this, lying in comfortable silence. Hokuto was upset that his work was canceled today, but it has turned to gratitude. He gets to spend as much time with his boyfriend with nothing to worry about and he gets to enjoy their new home.
Their doorbell rings suddenly, breaking the silence. Hokuto gets up and rushes to the front door, worrying about the poor delivery man outside in the rain. He signs the document and the man hands him a package, then runs off.
Taiga appears from behind him a few seconds later,
“What is that?” He asks sleepily, his eyes still puffy from sleep.
Hokuto sighs, “Another box, from my mom.”
Hokuto brings the box to their kitchen table and opens it. He knows what’s inside but he isn’t too thrilled.
Taiga takes the letter on top, underneath the washi paper were boxes of tea, all locally made in Shizuoka, courtesy of Hokuto’s mother.
Taiga clears his voice and reads the letter,
“Hokuto, the rainy season starts again. I’ve sent you a package containing tea that your father and I have grown to love over the past few weeks, all locally made, of course. Make sure to share them with Kyomoto-kun! I know he doesn’t drink coffee, so all these teas are caffeine-free. Stay warm and dry. Love, mom”
“Sometimes, I think my mom likes you more than me.” Hokuto accuses.
“I can’t help that she likes me so much, Hokkun.” Taiga laughs.
Hokuto and his entire family are all from Shizuoka, known for organic and locally made teas and Mt. Fuji. Hokuto’s mother can be a little too doting, sending them big boxes of teas monthly, so much so that they end up not finishing them all.
Hokuto inspects the contents of the box, finding different tea flavors. Some he’s tried before, some he’s never even heard of.
He thinks he can make cookies with some of these teas, to lessen the quantity. Before he gets to say anything, his phone buzzes.
‘Need u at the office ASAP. No time to explain.’
A text from a colleague. And he was enjoying his day too.
He finds Taiga in his home office/studio, glasses on, and hair a mess. He falls in love all over again.
Hokuto hugs Taiga from behind,
“They want me in the office,” He says, defeated. Hokuto was looking forward to spending the entire day listening to Taiga’s songs and drinking tea, he couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.
Taiga turns his chair to face Hokuto,
“In this weather?”
“I’ll call a taxi,” Hokuto kisses Taiga, soft and fleeting, the type to leave Taiga wanting more.
“Don’t wait up.”
Hokuto turns to leave, but Taiga catches him, grabs his wrist, and pulls him in for another kiss. Longer and deeper this time, kisses that leave Hokuto wanting more.
“Take care, I love you.”
↶*ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊ-
“Okay! I’m off!”
The click of a door.
“Sakkun! Don’t forget to take your—!”
And before Abe could even kiss him goodbye, the man had already disappeared from their doorway. He sighs and puts the umbrella in his hand in the nearby drawer. It’s been weeks since they sat on their couch, watching the morning weather forecaster announce that there will be endless rain for some time. Abe remembered it clearly, wrote on a sticky note to never forget their umbrellas, and stuck it on their refrigerator. But even after his cheerful nod upon reading it, Sakuma always storms off without an umbrella in hand.
Sakuma’s endless energy in the morning made him forget his umbrella, and to think that it happened almost every day made Abe question it even more. Just yesterday, he came home soaked. Abe can’t help but remember Moca when they tried to bathe her themselves instead of bringing her to the groomers. Like father, like daughter, he thought.
“Why didn’t you wait at the station for the rain to stop? You could’ve gone home just fine!” Abe scolded. He admits that it was hard to stay mad at Sakuma when he looked like a wet puppy.
“I couldn’t help it. When you texted me that you were already home, I wanted to be home too!”
Abe couldn’t stay mad after that. He dried Sakuma with a towel and told him to take a warm bath after giving him a peck on the cheek.
So after he cleaned their breakfast and made sure everything was fine before he went to work, he texted Sakuma to wait until the rain stopped wherever he was. Another evening spent in wet clothes and his health will be at stake. He took a deep breath before locking the door behind him, another long and rainy day awaits him.
↶*ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊ-
“Tea? From Shizuoka? You didn’t have to!”
“Oh, please, I insist! My mother sent them just yesterday and I still have loads of them at home,” Hokuto smiled.
Because it was true. There were still boxes of the classic Shizuoka tea stacked in their living room. Dozens of them that Hokuto still doesn’t know what to make use of. His boyfriend, on the contrary, found it amusing that Shizuoka had this much tea even in the rainy season.
“They’ve got nothing like this in Osaka!” He chuckled while sipping on his fifth glass of tea Hokuto made him that day.
Hokuto was about to tell him that that was because Osaka was a big city and their relief wasn’t exactly supportive of making tea as their specialty but he was too confused on how to get rid of them to respond to him. If he wanted someone to blame, that would be the rainy season. Or maybe Taiga. Wait, if he thought about it, it was Taiga. The rainy season had nothing to do with it.
Hokuto remembered how his mother always sent him tea in winter and when the rainy season came. It started when he was attending university in Tokyo. And even when that happens, he never struggled this much to drink all of it. His mother always sent him the right amount, no more, no less. It was the video call not too long ago that started it, his screen was angled in a way where Taiga was seen sipping his tea while reading manga next to him.
“Oh! Taiga, honey, do you like the tea?” His mother exclaimed, Hokuto handing the phone to him.
Taiga grabbed the phone gently and smiled, “I love it! It calms me down more than the black tea I usually drink,”
“Oh, my! Do you like it that much?”
“Yep! I love them,” Taiga nodded.
His mother’s laugh echoed from his phone. “Well, I’ve got no choice but to send more, do I? Hokuto! Don’t forget to brew the tea daily, okay? Taiga loves it!”
Hence after that, the tea catastrophe happened. It started with the normal amount of tea Hokuto usually receives, then it doubled, and before he knew it he had so much tea, he was at a loss on how to get rid of it. Hokuto worried about what to do with them while Taiga just smiled. The Shizuoka tea boxes add a nice touch to the living room, he said, somewhat traditional. Despite loving him to the moon and back with his whole heart, he will never understand the things that go through his boyfriend’s mind.
Hokuto racked his brain for ideas of what he could do about the enormous amount of tea. He’s already made desserts, from cookies to pies and parfaits, and it only got rid of one box. Taiga was more than happy to eat them all, though. Good, he thought, since he’s the one who caused all of this. He then packed them into small packages that he would give to his colleagues and Taiga’s. When he thought he was done with it all, he realized there was still one box left. If he wasn’t so tired from all the packing, he would’ve savored that one box, probably cook something else out of it, but he was too exhausted to think about tea. He just wanted them gone before they go bad.
Hokuto sighed when he returned to his chair. He was lucky today was a Friday, he postponed the last tea box to think about tomorrow.
↶*ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊ-
Taiga sighed and stretched his limbs. He yawned and glanced at the time, his eyes widening once he saw how late it was. How long did he sit at his table again?
With quick steps, Taiga turned on the lights. Drinking his tea turned cold while looking at the setting sun through his window. It was getting late and Hokuto was still not home. Taiga looked at the sweater wrapped around him and inhaled deeply, the smell of clean linen and fresh laundry lingering. He misses Hokuto. While watching the sky slowly change colors, Taiga waits a little more for the sound of turning the lock of a key and his boyfriend’s hurried steps. After about ten minutes, his phone buzzed.
“The photo shoot’s taking longer than expected so I’ll be home late… I’m sorry. You can have dinner first.”
Taiga frowned a little before his phone buzzed again.
“Miss you and your songs already.”
Taiga squealed and swung his legs giddily under the table before catching himself doing all that because of a text. They’ve been dating for a while now but he still gets excited about the littlest things. Taiga smiles to himself, that’s fine, he’s making it up for lost time. He cleared his throat to compose himself and typed his response.
“Miss you more…Good luck with the photo shoot!”
Taiga threw his phone on the bed before he could even see Hokuto’s response lest he would act more like a schoolboy in love. Hokuto told him to have dinner first and considering his experience in the kitchen, he decided to buy a ready-made meal from the nearest convenience store instead. It’s not the healthiest choice, but he didn’t want to risk burning down their new home by cooking whatever they had in the kitchen. He combed his hair with his hand before deciding that he was decent enough to be seen in society and put on his shoes before going out.
He was lucky the rain stopped right before he went out. After buying a curry set and two chocolate bars, Taiga walked home. The person walking in front of him was walking while humming happily. Taiga felt like he'd seen him somewhere but he couldn’t recall where and when. When he arrived in front of his home, the man stopped in front of the house just beside him.
He’s the next-door neighbor! Taiga exclaimed to himself.
Feeling like he was being stared at, Sakuma turned his head towards Taiga, then glanced at the house that was empty just a few weeks ago, and then turned his attention to Taiga again. Taiga doesn’t know if he was seeing things but he saw how there were sudden sparkles in his eyes.
“Oh, my God! Are you the one who just moved in the other day?!” Sakuma said, his voice full of excitement.
Taiga smiled. “Ah, yes. We just moved in and we haven’t had the chance to introduce ourselves,”
He offered his hand,
“I’m Kyomoto Taiga,”
Sakuma gripped his hand tight and shook his hand a little too enthusiastically. “Sakuma Daisuke! A pleasure to meet you! Are you just getting off from work too?”
“Oh, no, my partner will be home late so I just bought dinner,” Taiga points at the nearest 7/11.
“Ah, I see…Why don’t you have dinner with us, then? It’s nothing special but I hope you can join us! I mean, the more the merrier!”
Swayed by the man’s welcoming smile and how the homemade dinner sounded so much better than the instant meal he bought, Taiga made his heart sure and nodded. “Well, I can never say no to a homemade dinner,”
Sakuma laughed, warmth filling Taiga’s chest with the sound. “I already like you, Kyomoto-kun! Come on in! We’re more than happy to have you,”
We? Taiga wondered, who was Sakuma living with? A girlfriend, maybe? They were having home-cooked dinner, after all. Taiga walked behind Sakuma who was filled with excitement. When he opened the door, they were both welcomed by the rambling of a man.
“Abe-chan! I’m home!”
“Sakkun! You forgot your umbrella again! Can you please put it in your bag before you go to bed tonight so that you won’t forget it again in the mor—”
A chocolate-haired man with worried hazel eyes appears from the kitchen. He was wearing a pink apron with green clover motifs on it. He stopped in his tracks and his eyes widened. The white collar and dark green tie he was wearing underneath the apron seemed like he just got home, too. He quickly approached them and bowed.
“Um, I’m so sorry for suddenly blabbering, nice to meet you!” Abe smiled and offered his hand.
Sakuma giggled. “You’re always so worrisome, Abe-chan! This is Kyomoto Taiga-kun! Remember the U-HAUL truck we saw two weeks ago? Turns out it was Kyomoto-kun’s!”
“Ah! So you’re the new neighbor?” Abe gasped, Taiga saw the same sparkles he saw in Sakuma’s eyes.
He chuckled shyly. “Yes, please take care of me,” Taiga bowed.
Abe bowed and laughed too. “Please take care of us too,”
“Kyomoto-kun, this is Abe Ryohei! My boyfriend, soulmate, best friend, soon-to-be husband–”
“Sakkun please, we have a guest right now,” Abe chuckled, embarrassed, but Taiga could see it. The delightful smile he couldn’t hold in and the tips of his ears turning red. He’s seen it happen too many times to Hokuto or himself. They were in love, and Taiga felt so happy that he could relate.
“I’m sorry about him, Kyomoto-kun.” Abe smiles. Taiga only shakes his head and chuckles,
“It’s okay, don’t apologize.”
“Make yourself at home,” Abe gestured with his hand for him to step in. “I hope you don’t mind the papers, we’re a household filled with it,” He chuckled before going back to the kitchen.
“Of course, mine’s not too different,” Taiga snickered, remembering Hokuto’s designs and meeting papers and his music sheets.
“Oh, is that so? Kyomoto-kun, what field do you work in?” Sakuma asked giddily once they sat at their dinner table.
“I compose music, and my partner’s a fashion writer. So our home is pretty much covered in papers as well,” Taiga says.
Before Abe gets to reply, a giant golden retriever dog sprints from the bedroom down the hallway, barreling towards Sakuma at full speed.
“Moca-chan!” Sakuma exclaims, petting the excited dog jumping on him.
“Ah, the kids are awake.” Abe only says.
A few seconds later, 2 cats appear from the same bedroom, rubbing against Sakuma’s legs and meowing.
“My girls missed me so much today!”
Taiga looks at Sakuma in awe. His neighbors are extremely nice, and they have pets too. How great can 2 people be?
“Ah, I’m so sorry, Kyomoto-kun. Here,” Sakuma grabs Moca’s paws and makes her stand on her hind legs, “this is our golden, Moca.”
“Hello, Moca. It’s nice to meet you,” Taiga says to the dog, petting her soft fur. Moca barks in reply.
Sakuma then lets go of Moca and picks up one of the cats to show him, “This is Tuna,” and Taiga feels the other rubbing against his legs, “and that’s Sachi.”
Taiga pets the soft fur of the two cats before they decided that the living room was way more interesting than whatever they had going on in the kitchen.
“Our home is chaotic, as you can see,” Abe says, so full of love and fondness.
Taiga chuckles at the statement, “Chaos and love, I suppose?”
Abe only smiles at him, silently agreeing.
“Anyway, you said you were a composer? How cool is that?! What type of music do you compose?” Sakuma asks excitedly.
“Mostly OST for movies and shows, and some artist songs here and there,” Taiga says with pride.
“Ooh, maybe we’ve heard your songs before, Kyomoto-kun?” Abe inquires, “we’re big television watchers.”
The conversation continues like that till late into the night. Taiga discovers that Sakuma is a manga editor and Abe was a professor and researcher, both with excellent educational backgrounds and careers. He talks of his work, mentioning the shows and films he has worked on in the past. The conversation was full of laughter and joy, the 3 of them didn't notice the time.
He politely excuses himself and thanks both Abe and Sakuma for their hospitality,
“Thank you so much for dinner,” Taiga bows, expressing gratitude.
“It’s nothing! You’re free to come back any time,” Abe says, patting his shoulder.
“I will, I’ve grown quite fond of your dog,” Taiga chuckles. “You guys are welcome in our home too! My partner makes the most amazing food and we’d love to have you.”
“We’d love to come over if you’ll have us,” Sakuma smiles at Taiga, shining so bright that he can almost see a faint glow around him.
“I’ll see you guys, thank you again,” Taiga says, full of gratitude for his new neighbors.
↶*ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊ-
Taiga comes home to find Hokuto asleep on the couch, still in his work clothes, snoring.
He carefully takes Hokuto’s glasses off and drapes a blanket on top of him. Hokuto stirs a little but doesn’t wake.
Taiga was looking forward to telling Hokuto about the people he met today, but it can wait. He watches Hokuto sleep for a while, before kissing his forehead softly to not wake him.
He finds the comforter and lays it on the floor next to the couch. Hokuto’s steady breaths and soft snores lull him to sleep.
↶*ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊ-
Abe and Sakuma share a look when Taiga leaves. They don’t have to say anything to understand that they were thinking the same thing.
“Kyomoto-kun’s cute,” Sakuma says as an opening, not knowing how to address the glaring topic at hand.
Abe sighs and laughs at Sakuma. They’ve been dating for years but he still has no idea how to deal with stuff like this.
“Sakkun, he said ‘partner’. Partner. You’re thinking what I’m thinking, right?” Abe says, emphasizing the word.
“Of course! I thought I was imagining things. He said partner! Do you think he’s gay?” Sakuma says all in one breath, clearly excited about the possibility that there could be another gay couple in their neighborhood, and their neighbors too.
Abe sighs, “While it could be a possibility, I don’t want to jump to conclusions. What if we ask and he’s married to a woman or something? We might make him uncomfortable. We should let him talk about it instead of making assumptions.”
“But my gaydar was going off! It was beeping!” Sakuma insists.
“Sakuma, gaydars don’t exist, and even if they did, yours doesn’t work. You didn’t know I had a crush on you until I confessed!” Abe says, playfully nudging Sakuma.
“To be fair, you weren’t very obvious.”
“That’s a lie Sakkun and you know it.”
They banter and talk about things that don’t matter for hours, they share laughter and secrets. They talk and talk until there’s nothing left to talk about. The night ends and they sleep in comfortable darkness, knowing the sun will rise and they will wake up with each other like they always have.
↶*ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊ-
Sunday comes around, and it’s the best day of the week they’ve had so far. After weeks of non-stop rain, the sun finally shows itself, bathing the neighborhood in sunlight it so badly needed. Taiga wakes up on the floor and wonders how’d he get there, but remembers Saturday, the couple next door, and Hokuto on the couch.
“Morning, princess,” Hokuto says from the kitchen. He was cooking breakfast, it smelled so good that Taiga got up to see what he was cooking. Tamagoyaki. He heats water, enough for tea for the both of them, and waits patiently for the food.
They eat and drink their breakfast. Taiga talks about the newest project he’s working on, and Hokuto talks about the latest piece he was writing. They were enjoying their peaceful Sunday morning when suddenly Hokuto’s phone started buzzing.
“Work?” Taiga asks. Taiga understands that Hokuto was valued at his company but calling on a Sunday? Seriously?
Hokuto shakes his head, “No, surprisingly. It’s my mom.”
Taiga’s anger quickly dissipates, replaced by relief and happiness.
Hokuto answers the phone and puts it on speaker.
“Hi, mom!” Hokuto says.
“Hello, Mrs. Matsumura!” Taiga chimes in.
“Oh my, hello you two!” Hokuto’s mom says, excited to talk to her son and his boyfriend.
“Has something happened? Why’re you calling so suddenly?” Hokuto asks, trying not to sound too worried. Hokuto loves his mom so much, another side of him Taiga loves.
“No, no. Nothing happened. I just wanted to call and check up on you both. Have you received the tea I sent over?”
“Yes, Mrs. Matsumura! I love them all. Your son has made delicious food with the tea as well! He has quite the talent.”
Hokuto’s mom laughs delightfully over the tinny speakers of the phone. She’s thrilled Taiga enjoyed the tea.
“Well, in that case, I’ll send another box!” She says excitedly. “Hokuchan, make sure you make Taiga all sorts of food with the tea. We don’t want him going hungry, okay?”
Hokuto sighs, “Mom, we don’t need that much tea, please don’t send—”
“Nonsense! There is no such thing as too much tea. I have to go now but I’ll start packing teas I know you will both enjoy. I love you!” She hangs up before Hokuto says anything.
Hokuto looks at Taiga accusingly, “You…”
Taiga raises his hands and laughs, “Don’t blame me, Hokkun.”
Hokuto sighs, “We still have more boxes we haven’t finished, and now she wants to send us more! I’m at a loss here, Taiga. I’ve been giving them out at the office and I’m sure they’re getting sick of it.”
“Ah, you can give it to the next-door neighbors! I’ve met them and they were such a delight. They invited me over for dinner last night. It was a simple gratin but it was amazing, oh and they gave me brownies too! With almonds”
“They do sound like nice people…What were their names?”
“Their names?”
↶*ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊ-
That’s how Hokuto ended up in front of the next-door neighbors’ door, holding freshly-made earl grey tea cookies and a box of Shizuoka tea. He tried to drag Taiga with him but he refused profusely. He doesn’t understand why since he’s met them before, but Hokuto suspects that he was a little embarrassed about forgetting their names.
Hokuto rings the doorbell and waits, feeling weirdly nervous. The door opens and Hokuto is greeted by a man with kind eyes and brown hair that reminds him of the tea he was holding.
The man smiles at him and asks, “Can I help you?”
Hokuto composes himself, “Ah yes, I just moved here and I haven’t formally introduced myself yet,” He bows, “I’m Matsumura Hokuto, it’s nice to meet you.”
The man smiles at Hokuto and it felt so genuine, Hokuto couldn’t help but blush.
“I’m Abe Ryohei, likewise. Is that…” Abe eyes the box of tea and tin of cookies Hokuto was holding.
“Oh, right,” Hokuto hands the tea and cookies to him, “I’m originally from Shizuoka. I hope you like them.”
Abe’s delight about receiving gifts shows on his face. This man is so transparent it’s endearing.
“Well, I should head home,” Hokuto says, “I’ll see you around.”
“Ah, wait! Don’t you want to come inside? We can enjoy the tea and cookies you brought.”
And that’s how Hokuto ends up inside their next-door neighbors’ kitchen, drinking tea and eating earl gray tea cookies. The anxiety he felt before knocking on the door all disappeared without a trace. He was still a little nervous but the deep comfort his neighbors gave off seeped deep into his heart.
“Matsumura-kun, you have to share the recipe for these cookies,” Abe says, reaching for another cookie, “These are so good!”
Hokuto smiles at the compliment, “They’re easy to make, Abe-san. I’ll make sure to give you the recipe.”
“Thank you. Usually, 2 of us are here to greet you but my partner’s sick with the flu. I’ll be sure to give him a cup later, I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.” Abe says.
Him?
A tiny meow snaps Hokuto out of his thoughts. Was he hearing things?
Abe picks up the cat from the floor and cradles her like a baby.
“Hello, Sachi. Sorry, Matsumura-kun, did she scare you?”
“No, no. Not at all, I was just not expecting a cat,” Hokuto says, “Sachi is her name?”
Abe smiles, “Yes,” He sits Sachi up on his lap and waves a paw at Hokuto.
“She says it’s nice to meet you.”
Hokuto couldn’t help but smile. It felt so easy to be with Abe, he couldn't help it. He’s usually guarded and reserved about meeting new people, but for some reason, Abe’s presence calms him down.
They talk about Sachi and how Abe’s partner adopted her, along with another cat and dog.
“They’re in the room right now, clinging to him. They love that man more than they love me, I swear.”
Hokuto spends a little more time playing with Sachi while talking to Abe. Abe talks about trivial things, like how the potatoes at the local supermarket go on sale every Friday or that most of their pets’ toys were gifts from friends. Hokuto’s happy that work was not mentioned, not once.
After a while, Hokuto wasn’t sure, he bid farewell and promised to come again next time.
“Please do! You haven’t met the rest of us yet. And you owe me the recipe for those cookies,” Abe jokes.
When Hokuto gets home, he finds Taiga in the living room on his laptop, mixing songs.
“Welcome home.”
“Did you know that our next-door neighbors were gay or was I imagining things?” Hokuto asks.
Taiga spins his office chair around, tilts his head, and looks at his boyfriend, confused.
“Did I not tell you?”
“Taiga. You only mentioned the food.”
↶*ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊ-
Sakuma wakes up in the afternoon, his headache not as bad as it was this morning. Tuna sleeps next to him on the bed while Moca sleeps by his feet. He finds a cup of tea on their bedside table, Abe sits on the desk by the window.
He sits up to drink the tea. It immediately warms him up, making him feel so much better.
“Where’s this from?” Sakuma asks Abe, “this is probably the best tea I’ve ever had.”
“A neighbor from Shizuoka came today and gave them to me! He made cookies too. They’re in the kitchen if you want. He said he just moved here.”
Sakuma looks at Abe, confused. “I don’t remember anyone other than Taiga and his partner moving in though…Wait.”
Abe turns to look at Sakuma,
“Do you think… he’s the partner Taiga mentioned?” Sakuma says, seemingly connecting the dots.
Abe thinks about it for a second. He doesn’t remember Hokuto saying anything about moving in with a girl, let alone anyone, but Sakuma does have a point. They live in a fairly small neighborhood in Tokyo, so whenever someone moves in, they’re bound to know.
“Well, what do you think, Abe-chan?”
“I don’t think we should assume, but it does make sense. Matsumura-kun did give me his contact information, so we should invite him over and tell him to bring his partner.”
Sakuma nods and agrees, “We should put an end to this mystery. It’s killing me!”
“But to think, if Matsumura-kun and Kyomoto-kun are together, they’re one attractive and successful couple, like the ones in TV dramas,” Abe points out.
“Ah, we’ll soon find out, Abe-chan. Patience,” Sakuma says.
A pause. They both share a look.
“Wanna bet?”
“Moca! Come here, girl!”
The golden retriever runs happily while Sakuma starts laughing and runs away with a ball in his hand. After the gloomy rainy days, the clear blue skies and bright sunshine became even rarer. So when they opened their eyes to the sun rays seeping from the curtain windows, Sakuma hurriedly woke the whole house up to play in their backyard.
Moca was more than happy when he saw how Sakuma grabbed her favourite toy and opened the backyard door, quickly following with tottering steps. Sachi and Tuna only yawned as they slept on the porch, absorbing the sunshine on their fur.
Abe chuckled gently when he saw Sakuma trip on his steps and Moca quickly zoomed in front of him to give him a hand. When he was young, he never thought that he would be able to live both of his dreams. To be a young accomplished professor, and to be there by Sakuma’s side. It wasn’t easy to get there but it was all worth it. Now he’s just Ryohei – Sakuma’s Ryohei – in their little house with three children they loved very much.
Wanting to enjoy the warm sunshine too, Abe grabbed a book he's been wanting to read and sat on the porch. His other hand petted Tuna who was sleeping next to him.
When the others were busy, Sachi yawned herself awake. She looked around before stretching and getting off the porch. Wanting to take a little snack, Sachi was heading back into their living room when a smell intrigued her little nose. It didn't come from inside their own house, though. So Sachi kept on sniffing and sniffing, not realizing that she was out in the backyard again as she walked towards the backdoor of the house next to them.
↶*ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊ-
The stove was too hot! Hokuto exclaimed to himself as he coughed. The salmon he was cooking sizzled loudly as if it was telling him exactly that. He quickly lowered the heat and opened the window near him. Feeling like the smoke was still too much, he ran and opened the backdoor next to their kitchen before running to a safe distance from their stove.
He was still in a coughing fit when he heard footsteps coming from behind him.
"Are you okay?"
Hokuto turned his head and saw Taiga. His eyes were wide and eyebrows furrowed. Blond strands stood out here and there, signalling that he quickly ran to the kitchen from the bed when he heard Hokuto start coughing.
He couldn't hold the pout that started to form and rested his head on Taiga's shoulder.
"..I'm scared,"
Taiga's arms looped around him. "Scared of what?"
"The salmon.."
Hokuto lifted his head to his boyfriend who was giving the sizzling salmon a finger.
"Fuck you, salmon."
After a few kisses, Hokuto went back to his salmon and cooked the rest of their breakfast. Taiga, who was still in a daze after waking up, lights up as he sees the warm miso soup and fluffy white rice in front of him. He didn't say anything but smiled so sweetly to Hokuto, making his ears go red just at the sight of it.
"What do you think of going out today?"
Hokuto quickly looked up at Taiga. He was still chewing his food with a small smile.
"...Who are you and what did you do to the guy I dated?"
Taiga laughed. "He's still here, and he's asking you out on a date."
"Hmm.." Hokuto pretends to be thinking, he looks up while furrowing his eyebrows, all while smiling to himself.
"Come on, we'll eat at that café you've been wanting to try."
"You gotta try a little harder, Kyomoto-kun."
Taiga chuckled. He slowly held Hokuto's hand on top of their table and interlaced their fingers.
"Please?"
Hokuto squeezed their hands together and sighed. "Fine."
Taiga nodded to himself as he gave their hands a last squeeze before letting go. "Should I bring flowers the next time I ask you?"
"I won't refuse."
"How about poems? Songs? I'll do anything."
"God, just eat your breakfast already."
Taiga laughed again as he kicked his boyfriend's feet playfully under the table. Hokuto still stared at him though, sensing something different from Taiga. There was something that made him glow brighter that day.
"Why did you want to go out today anyways?" He asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
"It's a beautiful day and the sun's finally out," Taiga shrugged. "And I know well both of us have drowned too deep in our work, so why not take a break?"
Hokuto still stared at him.
"The new Pokémon card pack is out isn't it?"
Taiga gasped and covered his mouth in shock. "How did you know?!"
Hokuto sighed. "You're so predictable."
Comfortable silence passed as they both went back to their food. Amidst it all though, Taiga touched Hokuto's feet with his own. Making Hokuto place his attention back toward him.
"Cards or not, I still want to spend the day with you, though." He said in a low voice, eyes still on his food.
Hokuto smiled. "And whether we visit that café or not, I'll still be happy as long as it's with you."
Taiga looked up at him and their gaze met. Even after all those years dating, Taiga still feels his chest flipping and his cheeks blushing whenever his eyes meet Hokuto's. It was like magic, how each felt like the first time. But unlike the first time, Taiga didn't avert his gaze out of fear, he looked back with the same amount of love happily, even if his cheeks were still blushing or his heart was still drumming.
"Promise me there won't be any talk about work today," Taiga warned, his tone stern.
Hokuto grinned. "I promise."
"One word and I'll leave you in Akihabara alone."
"Got it."
"No objections?"
"Nope."
"How about a kiss?"
Hokuto laughed. "Gladly."
As Hokuto leaned in, both of them didn't realize that the backdoor was still open. They also didn't notice the small feline that slipped in after sniffing the smell of the salmon.
↶*ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊ-
"Sakkun, are you still crying?"
Abe chuckled gently when he noticed that the shoulder next to him was still shaking even though the movie ended ten minutes ago. Softly, Abe cupped Sakuma's cheeks and kissed each of the tears away before tapping their foreheads together.
"Are you okay?" Abe whispered, afraid that Sakuma would run away even with the slightest touch.
Sakuma sniffed and nuzzled his nose on Abe's neck. While Abe patted him gently on the back, Sakuma pulled him in, making Abe on top of him while they lay on the couch.
"I don't want to let you go."
Abe sighed but still hugged him back. "You're so dramatic sometimes."
Sakuma pulled back to look at Abe’s eyes, his gaze unwavering. "I wouldn't go even if you get an offer to go to Paris, Abe-chan. I would never leave you, ever."
Abe raised both of his eyebrows. "You're okay with being stuck with me forever?"
"Nothing has ever felt better since I'm stuck with you. Not even reruns of the cards I missed can ever beat the feeling of meeting you."
"Okay, that's enough," Abe chuckled and gave him a small peck on his lips before pulling both of them up. "Let's go to bed, we have work tomorrow."
Sakuma groaned but got up anyway. "Why can't Sundays last forever?"
The both of them start cleaning and preparing for the day ahead of them. Abe writes what he will be preparing for the meals they will be having and sticks it on their refrigerator while Sakuma locks the doors and windows. While Abe was looking at what ingredients they had left, Sakuma barged into the kitchen, fear and worry in his eyes.
"Sachi's gone!"
Abe's heart dropped. "Did you search everywhere?"
"I did! The corners and behind every door, but I couldn't find her!"
He dropped writing the recipe for tomorrow morning and decided to search for their cat. Sakuma searches in the bathroom while Abe searches in their living room. Sakuma was right, Abe called and lured her with a snack in his hand while searching every nook and cranny but she was nowhere. When he saw Sakuma walk in still with that worried look on his face, Abe knew that she wasn't in the bathroom either.
"She never did this before.. this is the very first time she ran away ever since we moved out," Sakuma said, his foot restless as it kept tapping on the floor.
"When was the last time you saw her?" Abe asked.
"I forgot... I remember feeding them in the morning and then I played with Moca all day.."
Abe sighed. "I only remember feeding them at lunch too... I only saw Tuna and I thought Sachi was sleeping somewhere."
"Where could she run away to, though? She only goes out to enjoy the sun, nothing more.."
"We should search and ask the neighbours tomorrow," Abe patted Sakuma's shoulder. "I'm sure she hasn't gone far."
"But she ran away this morning! What if she's lost right now and went even further? Or if someone takes her?" Sakuma sighed. "Did I do something to her..?"
"Sakkun, I'm sure she just slipped out when we were playing in the backyard, she'll come back soon."
"What if she's not? How are you so sure-"
"Hey,"
Abe held both of his shoulders and spun him so that Sakuma would face him.
"Look at me,"
Sakuma lifted his eyes, and Abe's gaze was gentle but strong as if reassuring him just by the way he looked.
"You've been nothing but delicate to her, and sure, we can never predict her behaviour, but one thing that I know is that this isn't your fault,"
Abe tucks a piece of hair behind Sakuma’s ear and cups his face,
"How about this, for now, we'll go rest, and if she's still not back in the morning, we'll go search for her after work. Does that sound okay to you?" he says, touching their foreheads together.
The glaze on Sakuma's eyes was about to fall into tears before he let out a shaky sigh. He was so glad he had Abe beside him, he didn’t know what he would do without him. His words and his gentle tone were all he needed for his running thoughts to stop. Sakuma made his heart sure before nodding and hugging Abe tight. He was already at loss just by losing Sachi, he couldn't imagine losing the man he loved most
Abe grinned and hugged him tight. After what seemed like a few minutes and Sakuma showed signs of not letting go, Abe hooked his hands under his thighs and brought him into their bathroom. They washed their faces and brushed their teeth. Sakuma’s eyes were still drooping with concern and Abe gave him some reassuring pats on the head that made his heart stop beating so fast. Under the warm blanket and Abe’s arms, Sakuma hopes that Sachi will be safe wherever she is.
↶*ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊ-
As soon as the lock on the door clicked, Taiga entered the house while still giggling, his waist anchored by Hokuto's palm. When Taiga was about to take off his shoes, Hokuto's hold tightened, making him stumble.
"Hoku, let me go!" Taiga laughed.
"Not until you say you love me." Hokuto buried his face in Taiga's nape.
"Haven't I said enough for today?"
"Mm-mm," Hokuto shook his head, his hair tickling Taiga's neck. "Never enough."
"I love you, Matsumura Hokuto, so much that whenever you say that you love me too, I can't believe that it was the same amount as how much I love you," Taiga sighed. "Happy?"
Hokuto lifted his head and smiled wide. "Delighted."
"Then let me go!"
Hokuto kissed him on the cheek. "I love you." Before the arms around Taiga let go.
Taiga slipped off his shoes and put the pack of Pokémon cards on the table. They spent the day hopping from shop to shop and trying out cafés and bars. His throat was dry from all the laughing and liquor, his feet quickly making a beeline towards the kitchen. When he was drinking, he noticed a blob of fur near their backdoor. They didn't lock it before they left, Taiga noticed. After a good look into it, Taiga finally knew what it was. The ears of the feline twitched and flinched, making Taiga smile amusedly.
"Hokuto! Come here, quick!"
Hokuto threw his coat to their couch and sprinted towards where Taiga was calling him. In the kitchen, Taiga was hunched in front of their backdoor, a cat sleeping peacefully next to him.
Hokuto tilted his head. "Wait... Isn't that-"
"Sachi?"
"Sachi!"
"She's our neighbour's cat, right?"
"Yeah... What's she doing here?"
"Maybe she just went out of their window or something," Hokuto stares at the sleeping cat. The small circle of fur gently going up and down, breathing slowly. "Don't you think we should return her? They must be worried."
"Hokuto, have you ever heard of the saying that you don't choose the cat, the cat chooses you?"
"Yes..?"
"Yeah, Sachi chose our place to sleep, shouldn't we at least let her finish her nap first? We'll return her tomorrow."
Hokuto stayed silent for a while. "I don't know about this, Taiga."
"Then when do you want to return her?"
"Now, if possible? They must be looking for her."
"Lift her, then."
Hokuto walked towards the both of them and could only stare at the sleeping cat. She looked so peaceful, eyes closed shut and ears twitching from time to time with the sound of her purring lulling their hearts to feel sleepy too. Hokuto glanced at Taiga before hunching next to him. A few minutes passed with just the both of them staring at the cat. Both of their breathing patterns follow Sachi's with their eyes slowly closing. Hokuto could feel his head starting to feel heavy and he unconsciously rested his head on Taiga’s shoulder. His black crown tickled the older’s cheeks, making Taiga chuckle sweetly and leaned back.
Hokuto sighed, his eyes still closed. "Let's return her tomorrow."
Taiga grinned. "That's what I said."
↶*ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊ-
Sachi wasn’t back yet in the morning. He remembered how everything went so vividly. Abe tried searching their house once again before leaving for work and still couldn’t find her. Tuna was also meowing endlessly, seemingly noticing that Sachi was missing. Even amidst all that and Sakuma’s internal panic, Abe was an angel. He made Sakuma tea and served some soup for breakfast, and when he was going to leave for work, he held his hand tight before giving a long, lingering kiss and a gentle smile.
“She’ll be okay, she’s a strong girl,” He kissed Sakuma’s forehead. “Just like you.”
Then suddenly everything in this world was fine again. Sakuma swore that he’ll be back early so that he could search for her when he was home. Abe only smiled and said that he’ll do the same and Sakuma wonders how he got so lucky to have someone who cares for the things he cared for in the same amount if not more.
Work felt like it went by in a flash. He was thinking about Sachi when he was working and on lunch break, and he outlined some places where Sachi could be. When he was done with his tasks for the day, Sakuma bid everyone at the office goodbye and texted Abe that he was going home.
When Abe replies that he's already home and is waiting for him, Sakuma walks a little faster. His chest bursts just at the thought of Abe on his side and he types his reply when he's already on the train home.
"Thank you for everything, Abe-chan."
↶*ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊ-
"You're working from home today too?"
Taiga stretched his limbs as he peeked at the text from Hokuto. He just finished a meeting with a client and the text made his day better.
"Yep, are you on break right now?"
When Taiga saw the bubble of his boyfriend typing, he unconsciously smiled with his hand petting Sachi on his lap.
"Yeah, we're wrapping up right now."
"Have you returned Sachi yet?"
Taiga types a no as he recalled his visit this morning. After Hokuto left for work, Taiga put on his hoodie while waiting for Sachi to finish up her breakfast (leftover salmon from yesterday’s breakfast that Hokuto lovingly steamed for her.) When he arrived in front of their neighbour's home, it seemed like the both of them had gone to work already, and leaving Sachi there alone was not an option so he took her back home.
Taiga was humming happily when he figured out that he would be spending more time with the cat but he didn't tell Hokuto that.
"Oh, well. Guess we'll have to return her when they're home."
"What is she doing right now?"
Taiga smiled to himself as he glanced at the sleeping cat, contemplating whether to send a picture or tease him a little.
"Guess."
The bubble that shows Hokuto is typing stayed a little longer than the previous texts.
"Is she sleeping?"
As expected of Hokuto, he's always right. Taiga sent him a close-up picture of himself and the cat.
"Correct!! You get a picture of the sleeping cat and your very beautiful boyfriend as a reward."
Taiga giggled to himself when Hokuto replied a little bit too quickly.
"Yes, you're very beautiful."
"I want to go home now."
Taiga almost fell off his chair and woke up Sachi but he calmed himself down and tried to keep his blushing to a minimum. He typed a quick reply and turned his phone off. Hokuto was more of a threat when they were apart, Taiga should've known that years ago.
↶*ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊ-
"Then shut up and hurry!! I want to say it to you back."
"Directly."
Hokuto chuckled to himself upon reading it. He could imagine Taiga's flushed cheeks and red ears and that alone made him wrap up the shoot faster than anyone else in the crew. Even his director was impressed and gave him a compliment for it.
Hokuto was already walking from the station when he saw two people walking frantically toward each other. He didn't recognize them from afar but when he got even closer, he started to recognize who they were. Abe's brown hair and overall gentle look weren't that hard to remember. He didn't know the pink-haired man next to him, though. Maybe their other neighbour?
Maybe he was looking for Sachi!
Hokuto quickly rushed towards them when he saw the worried looks on their faces.
"Uhm, excuse me, Abe-san?"
Abe turned towards him and his previous concerned look was gone, quickly replaced by the gentle smile Hokuto's grown to love.
"Oh, Hokuto-kun! Did you just get home from work?"
"Yes, I was just walking from the station."
"You're walking home from the station? Me too!" The man next to him exclaimed.
"Hey, at least introduce yourself first before jumping in." Abe nudged his arm and the small man chuckled.
"Whoops, I'm sorry, my name's Sakuma Daisuke!" He offered his hand and shook it in excitement. "You're Hokuto-kun, right? Thank you so much for the tea the other day, my flu was gone in no time!"
Oh! Hokuto exclaimed to himself. His eyes widened and darted between Abe and Sakuma, his brain connecting the dots. While the couple can't help but laugh at his reaction, Hokuto was like a puppy who just found something new.
"So Sakuma-san is your..."
"Yes, he's the sick boyfriend that couldn't greet you the other day." Abe chuckled.
"I could've if you woke me up." Sakuma pouted.
"And how am I supposed to do that? You looked dead tired. And you were sick, remember?" Abe grinned.
When Abe and Sakuma looked at each other with so much love in their eyes, Hokuto couldn't help but smile with them too. Their presence made him… relaxed. Both of their guards were down when they were with each other and it made Hokuto’s nervousness go with the wind. He was anxious about the neighbours they will be having before they move out, about acceptance and all that. But Hokuto realized didn’t need to be worried, he was so glad.
Hokuto reminds them of him and Taiga. Is this how we look to people? He thought
“Anyways, it’s so nice to finally get to know you, Hokuto-kun! I loved your tea,” Sakuma beamed. “You live nearby, right? Have you seen a cat around? She’s mostly black, a little white and a little bit more orange, maybe?”
“Ah, Hokuto-kun met Sachi before!” Abe exclaimed. “Have you seen her around, Hokuto-kun?”
Hokuto quickly nodded. “Yes, I could bring you to her right now.”
“What!?” Sakuma said a little too excited, making the people at the station stare at them.
Hokuto didn’t think that Sakuma could glow brighter since he was already beaming but apparently, he could. “We’ve been looking for her everywhere! We’re so glad we met you on the way.”
“Oh... she’s been in our house since yesterday and we wanted to return her but she was sleeping and we couldn’t wake her up,” Hokuto grinned and scratched the back of his neck. “We’re so sorry for the trouble, please, follow me.”
“No, no! We’re the ones who should be sorry,” Abe waved his hand. “She’s never done this before so we’re thankful you were the one who found her and not some stranger.”
Hokuto chuckled softly as the three of them started walking together down a familiar path. Sakuma thought that Hokuto’s house would be a little further from theirs but so far, it seemed like they were walking in the direction of their own home. When they stopped at the house next to theirs, Sakuma gasped and tugged on Abe’s sleeves, wanting to tell him that their intuition was right. Hokuto is Taiga’s boyfriend! But Abe didn’t seem fazed even when Hokuto led them to his house. When Sakuma was tugging on Abe’s sleeves in excitement, he grabbed his hand and held it instead. It was a sweet gesture and Sakuma’s heart flipped at that, but still, there was more important news at hand!
When Hokuto unlocked the door, he said, “Taiga, I’m home!”
The face Abe was making when he turned towards Sakuma was priceless, he couldn’t help but giggle a little. Abe squeezed Sakuma’s hand he was holding and chuckled too.
“Welcome back!” A voice echoed from inside the house but the three of them didn’t see Taiga anywhere.
“Um- I can't get up right now! Sorry! Can you turn on the lights?"
Hokuto sensed the little panic in Taiga's voice and went to the dark living room. His worried thoughts were running before he turned on the lights. Taiga was sitting on the couch and Sachi was sleeping on his lap. He smiled at Hokuto apologetically.
"I'm sorry, I gave her an evening snack with the leftover salmon and she– Oh! Abe-san! Sakuma-san!"
Sakuma squeals and runs a little to Taiga. "Oh my God... She loves you!" He said in a whisper.
"You think so?" Taiga whispered back.
"I know so!" Sakuma beams.
Sakuma sits beside Taiga on the couch, careful not to wake Sachi up.
"You should be her godfather or something." He giggled.
Taiga widened his eyes and covered his mouth in shock. "I can do that..?"
"Well, if the other parent agrees too, but I'm sure he'll agree instantly."
"I heard that." Abe chuckles and walks towards the two of them with Hokuto. "There might be some legal documents you need to sign first, Kyomoto-kun."
"Really? For cats?"
"No, I'm joking." Abe chuckled.
"How can you believe that so easily?" Hokuto sat next to him.
"Well, I don't know... We never had a cat before." Taiga reasons while lifting both of his eyebrows with each word.
"You're so weird," Hokuto shook his head, albeit still smiling. "Abe-san, Sakuma-san, please sit down, we might have to wait a while for Sachi to wake up. I'll go make some tea."
"Are you sure, Hokuto-kun? We don't want to trouble you any longer." Abe asks.
"It's totally fine, Abe-san." Hokuto paused on his way to the kitchen and turned back. "..Or do you want to bring Sachi home right now?"
The four of them stare at the sleeping cat. Her black fur moves up and down gently, ears twitching from time to time while purring softly. None of their gazes moved away even for a second. They felt like they could never be bored just staring at the cat and lifting her, which meant disturbing the feline's peaceful slumber was an option they quickly threw out the window.
"..We'll have the tea if you're okay with it, Hokuto-kun."
The evening was short and sweet. The four of them talked about everything and nothing. From the rare sunny Sunday, they both enjoyed the day before to each of their hometowns. All while enjoying Hokuto's tea and cookies, everything felt right and warm. They felt a little sad when Sachi finally yawned herself awake, darting her eyes between Taiga who she was sleeping on to Sakuma and quickly jumped to him. The four of them laughed after the cat realized who her real father was.
"Sakuma-san, would it be okay if I come over to visit Sachi sometime?" Taiga smiled shyly when the other couple was wearing their shoes on their doorstep.
"That'd be lovely! I'm sure Sachi would love that very much," Sakuma lifted the cat and waved her paw to Taiga. "Bye-bye, Uncle Kyomo!"
When the cat meowed along with it, the four of them couldn't help but laugh. Abe and Sakuma bid Hokuto and Taiga goodbye with Sachi in Sakuma's arms. They both walked in silence until they arrived in front of their door. They both could hear Moca running towards the door from outside.
"So," Sakuma smiled smugly.
"So?" Abe raised his eyebrows as he fished for the keys inside his pockets.
"So I won the bet, didn't I?"
Abe sighed. "You still remembered, huh?"
"Of course, how could I not?"
"It's just funny when you remember stuff when there's a reward on the corner," Abe clicked their door open, Moca barking happily at the both of them. "Remember how you would always forget your umbrella?"
"Oh please, aren't you gonna ask what I want for the reward?" Sakuma smirked as they stepped in.
"Fine, what do you want, my dear Sakkun?" Abe asks, his tone sweet. Sakuma's heart jumped at the sudden change but he quickly adjusted to it.
"I want you, my Abe-chan."
Abe's dreamy eyes suddenly changed to his toneless expression and he groaned out loud. But Sakuma didn't miss his reddening ears and neck.
"You're so cheesy," Abe walked in before him, purposely hiding his face. "Be more realistic, please."
Sakuma giggled giddily and followed him. "Fine! I want those instant bread mixers, I've been wanting to make sourdough bread."
"That's way too realistic!" Abe laughed and Sakuma laughed along with him.
But even after they had dinner, when they were done preparing for bed, when Sakuma was tucked inside their blankets and Abe's arms while knowing Sachi was finally home, Abe kissed his forehead with a whisper.
"We'll look at some this Friday, maybe we can get a discounted one to try."
And Sakuma was sure that there will be no one he would rather be stuck with all his life than Abe Ryohei.
↶*ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊ-
"Hokuto."
"I know," Hokuto can't help but chuckle when the couple left their house, knowing exactly what Taiga was thinking. "It'll be a big responsibility."
"I know that already, you've seen Anzu, right? Do you know how well and loved she looks? You can ask Mom if it was all me!" Taiga said excitedly with stars in his eyes, his feet following Hokuto towards their kitchen.
Hokuto hums as the memories of when they visited Taiga's parents flowed in. Anzu is Taiga's adorable family dog, and just like the rest of the family, she was pretty and well taken care of. Hokuto remembered how Taiga's Mom told him stories of how Taiga doted on her all the time ever since she was in the house.
"Well yes, I guess I should call your Mom soon to confirm it," Hokuto smiles as he sees Taiga's cheeks puff with happiness. "What kind of animal do you want anyway?"
"I'm always thinking of getting a dog of our own but after taking care of Sachi today, I feel very conflicted," Taiga says in a tone like that was the biggest crisis he had in his life. "I just never thought I was a cat person."
"Maybe that's because you act like a cat yourself."
"Huh? You think so?"
Hokuto chuckled. "Don't make me tell stories of the past while we're having dinner now."
"Oh," Taiga blushed. "Okay."
"Are there any animals you have in mind other than cats and dogs?" Hokuto asked, purely curious.
"Hmm.." Taiga hummed as he stared at Hokuto measuring the temperature of his cooking. His eyes were sharp and his fingers working precisely, when he felt like the temperature was just right, he quickly put the batter in with the perfect speed. Taiga smiled.
"An eagle, maybe."
"Oh, wow that's pretty realistic," Hokuto turned to him with a grin. "I thought you were going to say a fantasy creature or a Pokémon, to be honest."
"Wait, I could answer that?"
"No, honey, not anymore," Hokuto chuckled. "Not only that we don't have enough space, I don't know what the neighbours will say." He said while putting the rice in front of Taiga and winked, going along with him. “Plus, I don’t think it’s legal to have a pet eagle in Japan.”
"You know what, Hoku," Taiga grinned happily as he remembered the couple living next to them. "I think our neighbours will be just as ecstatic as we are."